World Pea Shooting Championships
Encyclopedia
The World Pea Shooting
Championship has been held annually since 1971 in the village of Witcham
near Ely
in Cambridgeshire
, England
. It was conceived as a fund-raising idea for the Village Hall by the headmaster of the village school, John I. Tyson (1925–2002).
In 2003 the Parish Council funded the purchase of the John Tyson Shield on which the champion's name is recorded each year.
The competition tends to be dominated by local entrants, though a small number travel from around the world, notably the USA, and American personnel from the nearby US airbases of RAF Mildenhall
and RAF Lakenheath
have competed. The day is combined with village fete
featuring games, stalls etc.
The 2010 and 40th World Pea Shooting Champion is Ian Ashmeade from Haddenham who was the runner-up in 2009 to Jim Collins (Pea Shooter).
In 2011 Ian Ashmeade became the 2011 and 41st World Pea Shooting Champion. He beat George Hollis a previous 4 times World Champion and the Champion of Champions in the semi final, only to meet the 2009 World Champion Jim Collins in the final. The result of the 2009 final was reversed and Ian Ashmeade beat Jim Collins to retain his previous years title.
2010 and 2011
winner Ian Ashmeade.
Pea shooting
Pea shooting is the act of shooting dried peas out of a tube, a pea shooter, by blowing through it. A similar effect can be achieved by using small bits of paper instead of peas....
Championship has been held annually since 1971 in the village of Witcham
Witcham
Witcham is a small village near Ely in Cambridgeshire, England.The village is surrounded by fenland farms and has a village hall and a 13th-century church dedicated to St Martin. It has a pub called the White Horse, which was the winner of the Ely and District CAMRA Rural Pub of the Year Award...
near Ely
Ely, Cambridgeshire
Ely is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge and about by road from London. It is built on a Lower Greensand island, which at a maximum elevation of is the highest land in the Fens...
in Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It was conceived as a fund-raising idea for the Village Hall by the headmaster of the village school, John I. Tyson (1925–2002).
In 2003 the Parish Council funded the purchase of the John Tyson Shield on which the champion's name is recorded each year.
The competition tends to be dominated by local entrants, though a small number travel from around the world, notably the USA, and American personnel from the nearby US airbases of RAF Mildenhall
RAF Mildenhall
RAF Mildenhall is a Royal Air Force station located at Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. Despite its status as an RAF station, it primarily supports United States Air Force operations and is currently the home of the 100th Air Refueling Wing...
and RAF Lakenheath
RAF Lakenheath
RAF Lakenheath, is a Royal Air Force military airbase near Lakenheath in Suffolk, England. Although an RAF station, it hosts United States Air Force units and personnel...
have competed. The day is combined with village fete
Fête
Fête is a French word meaning festival, celebration or party, which has passed into English as a label that may be given to certain events.-Description:It is widely used in England and Australia in the context of a village fête,...
featuring games, stalls etc.
External links
- Witcham village
- 2012 World Pea Shooting Championship countdown.
- Background of the World Championship
- Haddenham Man Retains World -Peashooting Title
- Pictures of the 2011 World Pea Shooting Championship
- A video of the perfect pea's eye
The 2010 and 40th World Pea Shooting Champion is Ian Ashmeade from Haddenham who was the runner-up in 2009 to Jim Collins (Pea Shooter).
In 2011 Ian Ashmeade became the 2011 and 41st World Pea Shooting Champion. He beat George Hollis a previous 4 times World Champion and the Champion of Champions in the semi final, only to meet the 2009 World Champion Jim Collins in the final. The result of the 2009 final was reversed and Ian Ashmeade beat Jim Collins to retain his previous years title.
2010 and 2011
winner Ian Ashmeade.